


UnWrap Me

by leftdragonpainter



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Accountant Castiel, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Bartender Dean, Blow Jobs, Chef Gabriel (Supernatural), Christmas, Concerned Sam, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Meetings, For a minute, Gabriel Being Gabriel, Hand Jobs, Injured Gabriel (Supernatural), Insecurity, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Meet the Family, Sam Wants a Dog, Sharing a Bed, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-12 00:23:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9047321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leftdragonpainter/pseuds/leftdragonpainter
Summary: Sam brings home his best friend Castiel for the holidays. Unexpectedly his older brother Dean shows up and sparks begin to fly between the awkward accountant and the unsettled bad boy.Could they be each other's best gift ever?





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I watched the Family Stone the other night and decided to finally get around to doing my own trope of bringing the friend home to meet the family. This definitely won't be finished until after the new year, (got away from me word-wise).  
> Happy xmas!  
> As always Kudos and Comments make great gifts!  
> Gabi  
> <3<3<3

“No, no, no. The green one is for your father, the red is for Adam and the purple one is for Charlie.” Castiel’s gravelly voice sounded monosyllabic to anyone who wasn’t attuned to the slight nuances of his tone. But for Sam Winchester he knew the man better than the back of his hand, and he knew how stressed Castiel was about the whole situation. They had been friends and roommates for the past few years, and he had finally convinced the blue eyed man into spend the holidays with him and the rest of his family instead of alone.

So far he was taking present gifting and wrapping extremely seriously. Not surprising given his penchant for being compulsive. And awkward. Not that being awkward had anything to do with compulsion, but that was who Castiel Milton was. Feet shuffling, head tilting, trench coat wearing awkward accountant.

And he was Sam Winchester’s best friend.

“Are you still certain that your brother Dean won’t be joining this year? You said he was still traveling, yes?” Castiel questioned. It wasn’t that he wasn’t willing to gift the older Winchester, Castiel just wanted to be sure that the man would be there to receive it.

“Last I heard he was somewhere in North Dakota. No idea what he would find to do out there.” Sam shrugged. His brother had been a wandering spirit the past few years, not quite settling anywhere. Sam hoped that whatever he was searching for he would be able to find it soon. He missed the jerk.

*****

“And he has this weird head tilt thing.” Charlie tilted her head, and made a face as her red hair somehow found it’s way into the cereal bowl she held. So far Charlie had been the only one of the family to have met Sam’s roommate, and she was taking the opportunity to turn the rest of the family to her biases of how awkward he really was.

Her family looked on, laughing at her interpretation, knowing full well that it had to be an exaggeration. Her younger brother Adam and his girlfriend Claire laughed as they continued to chopped vegetables for dinner.

“Now I cannot believe that he is that bad. He seemed perfectly friendly when we spoke on the phone the other day.” Mary Winchester eyed her adopted daughter. Charlie seemed to have a dramatic streak –which was saying something in this family. Mary eyed Charlie’s hair, red this week. Who knew what color it would be by New Year’s.

“I’m telling you, Mary, he barely spoke two words the entire time I was there. I had to do all the talking.”

“Now there’s a shocker.” Adam rolled his eyes.

She tossed one of the dinner rolls at his head. It bounced off, and rolled across the floor. “Seriously. He took us to some high end fancy restaurant where he ordered for us and then remained silent throughout dinner. And you should have seen what the food cost. Swear to god my eyes popped out when I saw the prices. He didn’t even blink when he grabbed the check.”

“So he’s rich. Sam could have worse friends. He has had worse friends.” Mary reminded them. Sam’s close ‘friend’ back in high school, Ruby, had gotten him into trouble several times, almost landing him in juvenile detention. Yeah, Sam could have much worse friends than an awkward, rich accountant.

*****

Castiel took a deep breath as Sam pulled the rental car up to the house. The large colonial was far more imposing than he had been expecting. Though perhaps it only appeared that way because of the nerves. This would be the first time he would be meeting his friend’s family. Other than Sam’s younger sister Charlie anyways. He had found her to be quite… _energetic_ when they had met earlier in the year, but all the same, nice. Turning to his friend, Castiel offered. “You know, it’s not too late for me to head back to the bus station. I really don’t want to inconvenience your family with my presence.”

Sam rolled his eyes as he unlatched his seatbelt, then reached over to shake his friend’s shoulder. “Dude. How many times do I have to tell you? You aren’t an imposition. You’re generally so quiet that they won’t even know that you’re there. Just like at home.” He laughed at Castiel’s bitchface before getting out of the car.

As they grabbed their overnight bags from the trunk, the hairs on the back of Castiel’s neck rose. Sensing someone watching him, he turned to the house. A rush of activity from the front window drapes suddenly closing confirmed his suspicions that some if not all of the family had been spying on his arrival.

Sam clapped a hand on his friend’s neck as the made their way up the walk. With a jovial laugh he asked. “So did you bring a demon blade or something? I swear that most of my family have been possessed over the years. You might need to defend yourself.”

“If they are anything like you I think that I can handle it.” Castiel deadpanned.

Sam just laughed, shoving Castiel up the walk. He was prepared to set his family loose on his friend to watch him flounder. As awesome as it would be to see him squirm, Sam would stay at his side. For a little while anyways. Through introductions at least.

Opening the door, they had a mere second before being surrounded. Sam had the benefit of standing a good six inches above most of them. Charlie attacked her brother in a hug the second he stepped through the door, gaining a pained yelp from the larger man. Castiel stood off to the side to observe his friend with his family. He turned when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

The woman, blonde and still beautiful despite being close to fifty, smiled. Clearly this was Sam’s mother. “Castiel, right? Welcome to bedlam.” She drew him into a warm hug. Castiel stood stiffly in her arms, before patting her on her back.

“Now I want you to feel at home here. So if you need anything let me or John know. You’ll be staying in Dean’s room. It’s the apartment above the garage.” Mary spoke kindly. She had been told beforehand by Sam how Castiel was generally uncomfortable around people. She wanted to make this holiday as welcoming as possible for the man.

Sam came over to hug his mom. “Dean’s room? So Dean’s not coming then?” He asked with a slight frown. He hadn’t seen his brother since Dean had decided that he wanted to travel the country for awhile after his breakup with Lisa. That was almost two years ago.

“He said he probably wasn’t going to make it up.” Mary frowned, disappointment etching lines into her face. She took a deep breath and smiled widely, though it was clearly filled with festive cheer. “So until he arrives, Castiel here can use his room, instead of being forced to bunk with you or Adam.”

Adam’s blond popped around a doorway. He shot his taller, older brother a mock glare. “Nobody is sharing my room except Claire.”

“I still don’t know why that sweet girl still puts up with your idiot self.” Sam teased.

“That’s ‘cuss he knows that I’m not all that sweet.” Claire elbowed the giant man as she passed him on her way back to the kitchen.

“Yet another reason you fit in so well with this family, Claire.” John said, a slight grin tilting his lips. Mild humor lit up his eyes as he turned to Castiel. “Beware of this one, Castiel. She’s quite likely to stick you with the bill when she steals your wallet.”

“Hey!” Claire huffed, and stormed off following Adam to the kitchen.

Everyone dispersed with laughter at Sam’s noise of indignation.


	2. Chapter Two

It had been over two years since he had been back, yet the small town remained unchanged. There was still the one blinking light down on Main, still the old white high steepled church with bells that echoed through the town at night. Dean sighed, memories flooded him as he drove past his old high school.

They weren’t memories that he had ever wanted to relive. He had met Lisa in that school. Fallen in love with her there. Made plans for the future with her there.

Found out she was pregnant there.

As he passed the old abandoned drive in, he recalled another memory. One where Lisa had broken down and admitted that their son wasn’t actually Dean’s. That she had cheated.

So he had packed what he could into the Impala and never looked back.

He didn’t know how his family would react when he showed up unannounced. He supposed that he should be thankful that he knew they would never turn him away. But the questions, -where’ve you been, did you meet a nice girl and/or boy, when are you coming home for good? Are you going to check in on Ben?- Yeah, those questions he could do without for a while.

*****

Castiel couldn’t sleep. He very rarely could when sleeping in strange beds. While the memory foam bed was comfortable, Castiel was not. Not with being there with Sam’s family, not with being included in their holiday festivities.

Also the aged _Saved By the Bell_ poster hanging above the headboard was somewhat disturbing. He wasn’t used to having Mario Lopez staring down at him while he tried to sleep.

Shooting an annoyed glance to the alarm clock on the end table, Castiel sighed. 3:47 AM. He was never going to get back to sleep at this point.

Just then the purr of a car pulling up the drive way and turning off shifted his focus. Who would be arriving this late? Not that he really had any clue as to how Sam’s family behaved normally. His rampant thoughts froze as the door to the garage apartment creaked open.

Castiel slid off the side of the bed, and blindly searched for anything to defend himself against the intruder. He found his shoe. Or rather Sam’s, as he didn’t actually own any casual shoes and ended up borrowing his friend’s for the holiday.

Bracing himself, he hid against the wall by the bedroom door. When it opened widely and the unknown figure stepped in, Castiel swung, connecting the shoe to the interlopers head.

“OW! _Sonofabitch_!” The man’s deep voice yelled at the impact. Reacting he quickly grasped Castiel’s hands and flipped him almost effortlessly to the ground. Castiel fought back, years of defensive training kicking in, and before the stranger knew what had happened they had switched positions.

“Who the hell are you? Why’re you in my room?” He grunted under the weight of his attacker.

“Your room?” Castiel paused, tilting his head. Slowly, he sat back, painfully aware that he was sitting on this man, this stranger. Sam’s _brother._ “Dean?”

The man under him grunted. “Yeah. You wanna tell me who the hell you are?” Dean shifted. His hands had landed on the man’s thighs. Shoving at the stranger, he couldn’t help but appreciate the muscles under his hands. “Wanna get off me?”

Castiel blinked out of his trance. Standing quicker than expected, he moved to the wall and turned on the lights. Reaching out a hand to help the other man up, he introduced himself. “I’m Castiel Milton.”

“Okay, Castiel Milton. Wanna tell me what the hell you’re doing in my room and why you seem to know who I am?” Dean brushed off his pants, not noticing that Castiel’s eyes followed the movement.

“Sam brought me to join in his family holiday.” Castiel explained.

Dean frowned. So this was the boyfriend, the ‘roomate’. As much as Sam talked of the man over the years, Dean knew that there was more to it than Sam was admitting. Dean looked over the dark sex hair and deep blue bedroom eyes. Damnit, he couldn’t fault his brother for landing this walking advertisement for sex. “Ah. Doesn’t explain why you are sleeping here instead of Sam’s bed.”

Castiel tilted his head in confusion. “Why would I share Sam’s bed?”

“Seriously?” Dean questioned back. This conversation was going nowhere fast and he was too exhausted to try to untangle it. He had been driving for the last three days almost non-stop, the last stretch lasting twelve hours straight, in order to be home for Christmas. Shaking his head he said, “Whatever, man. I need my four hours, so if you wouldn’t mind---?”

“Sharing the bed? No, I wouldn’t mind.”

Castiel had taken one look at Dean once the light turned on and was immediately taken back by the man’s stark beauty. The sheer masculine jawline and musculature was offset by feminine lashes and pouty kissable lips. Castiel tilted his head, wondering how they would taste.

That- Castiel’s raw honesty- perked Dean up. “Wait. What? Seriously why aren’t you sharing Sam’s room?” That needed to be answered before anything happened. Not that anything would.

Obviously.

“Your brother is quite large to share a bed with, and there was another bed available. If you would prefer, I could go sleep on the couch. Truly, I don’t mind.” Castiel’s neck must permanently hurt with as much as he tilted it. Sam’s brother intrigued him. “If you don’t mind my asking, why is it you seem obsessed with me being in Sam’s bed?”

“’Cus he’s your boyfriend?” Dean said this as though it were obvious.

“While it is true that Sam is indeed male, and equally so that he is my friend, I wouldn’t quantify our relationship as ‘boyfriends’.” Castiel’s use of finger quotations made Dean snort. “Not in the colloquial term anyway.”

Dean shifted to using his most charming grin. Not boyfriends, huh? Good to know. Before he could open his mouth to reply, Castiel spoke again.

“Where do you want it?”

Dean choked and reddened five shades. Wow, nerdy little dude was certainly blunt wasn’t he? “Excuse me?” he choked out, not believing his ears.

Castiel’s eyes widened as he realized that what he had said could certainly be misinterpreted. He had been completely thrown off guard by Dean’s presence. While he had seen old pictures of Sam’s family before, he hadn’t appreciated how beautiful Sam’s older brother was. And toned, and freckled, and… Those damn eyes and pouty lips, getting distracted again. Cas swallowed. Why had he offered to share the bed? “The bed. Which side? For sleeping?”

Dean watched as Castiel’s face pinked. There was some definite attraction brewing here. On both sides if he guessed correctly.

Oh this holiday trip just became infinitely more fun.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some brotherly bonding :)  
> Comments and Kudos and hope everyone had a good holiday!  
> Gabi  
> <3<3<3

Despite his best intentions, Dean had passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

It was an uncomfortable night of sleep for Castiel. He couldn’t believe he had offered to share the bed with this gorgeous man. Sure it was his best friend’s older brother, so technically he wasn’t really a stranger, but yet he was. Castiel had never done something like this before. Not that anything was happening, but Castiel was afraid of making the slightest movement and waking the other man –or clueing Dean in to how attractive he found him- that he had lain most of the night stiff as a board while Dean snored in his ear beside him.

The next morning the entire family was surprised at Dean’s arrival. He had wandered into the kitchen, dressed in low-slung pajama bottoms and a grey t-shirt with holes in the collar, wiping the sleep from his eyes. Charlie had screeched and launched herself at him, practically putting her oldest brother into a choke hold. The rest of the Winchester’s joined together smothering the prodigal son.

“When did you get home?”

“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming back?”

“Have you eaten?”

“What did you bring me?”

While Dean struggled to answer the questions, Castiel stumbled into the room. The stairwell connecting the house to the apartment above the garage was narrow, and his sleep deprived state couldn’t navigate the turns without hitting his head on the ceiling. His dark hair was messed, and he appeared that he had had a rough night of no sleep. He stumbled past the family, bumping blindly into Dean’s side. Scratching the back of his head, he muttered, “Coffee,” before sitting at the table facedown on the hard surface.

Sam was used to this, the caffeine deprived monster that greeted him on a daily basis. What he wasn’t used to, however, was Castiel and his brother emerging from the same room, looking like they had...had... _done things._

The rest of the family watched, amused by the tennis match of expressions between Sam, Dean, and Castiel. Sam spoke first.

“Uh, Castiel?”

Castiel lifted his head wearily to look at his roommate. “Yes, Sam?”

“Uh. Did – did you and Dean-? Uh…” Sam reddened, not sure how to go about asking his best friend the awkward question.

“Sleep together? Yes we did.” Castiel’s lack of filter shocked everyone in the room. Dean’s outburst at his words woke him slightly however.

“Cas! What the hell man?” Dean face palmed, avoiding the arched brow his father shot him.

“What? We did sleep together. Do you know that you snore? You really should get that looked into, Dean. Sleep apnea is no laughing matter.” Castiel said seriously, not understanding why the room had gone silent except for Charlie’s snickering.

Sam turned on his brother, punching him in the arm. Angrily, he shouted. “What the fuck dude! You come back in town for ten minutes and you decide to have sex with my best friend. Not cool Dean!”

“I didn’t have sex with him!” Dean shouted, shoving his brother back.

“We did not have intercourse Sam. We merely slept together.” Castiel stood, placing a calming hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Though what I am curious about is why you seem to find it problematic if we had had intercourse.”

Dean shook his head and snorted. “Dude, you got to stop saying intercourse.”

Mary jumped in, deciding to table this discussion until after breakfast. Everyone ate quickly, either wanting to escape the situation or wanting to make it happen faster. Mary laid down the law though, leave Sam, Dean and Castiel alone to sort this all out for themselves.

*****

“So, how long are you back?” Sam asked Dean later, when they were alone in Sam’s old room. “Are you going to go see him?”

Dean picked up one of the shiny trophies lining a shelf. It figured that his mom would keep them dust free. Sam was the golden boy who could do no wrong. He sighed. “To answer both, I honestly don’t know. I thought I would figure it out when I got home, but now that I’m here? I don’t know man.”

Sam remained silent for a moment, then from his seat on the edge of the mattress he shot his brother his famed puppy dog eyes. “You could always come home to stay. We’ve all missed you, Dean. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too, Sammy.” He grabbed the desk chair, turning it before straddling it with his bow legs. “Actually, I was thinking of buying the Roadhouse. Last time I was talking with Ellen, she was saying how she wanted to retire soon.”

Interested, Sam leaned forward, elbows on knees. “You know how to run a bar? Since when?”

“Uh, well, back when I was still with…” Dean avoided his brother’s eyes. Damn things were always able to get anything out of him. He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed that he had even brought it up. “Anyways, I had taken a few classes, business management. And for the past couple years the bar I was working at, well, they trained me. I don’t know. Just a stupid idea anyways.”

“No Dean. It’s not a stupid idea at all!” Sam argued. He hated to see his brother unsure about anything, especially about something he clearly wanted to do. He knew that Dean wouldn’t have admitted anything about the bar to anyone, let alone family, if he didn’t already have his heart set on it. Sam couldn’t be happier for his brother. “When were you planning on buying it from Ellen? When are you going to tell Mom and Dad?”

“I figured that I would talk with Ellen after the first of the year. And then, if it goes well, then I _might_ tell Mom and Dad.” Dean felt as though a weight came off his chest. He missed talking with his baby brother like this, even if he was a bitch.

Lifting the corner of his mouth, Sam smirked. Time to begin teasing. “You know, Castiel is an accountant. He could probably help with paperwork stuff.”

“Oh? Well, I will keep that in mind.” Dean coughed, shifting in his seat.

“Are you blushing dude?” Sam grinned, enjoying torturing his brother like this.

“What? No. Shut up. You’re- you’re blushing.” Dean stood suddenly. He knocked the chair over in his haste and tripped, sending Sam into a fit of laughter. Before storming out of the room, he growled, “Shut your pie hole!”

Sam’s laughter could be heard throughout the house for the next several minutes.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning: This thing is going to be full of cheesy tropes. Cus frankly I love them and can never use them enough.  
> *NOTE* Ya'll gonna hate me this chapter. And love me the next. MWAHAHA  
> Comments and kudos and yada yada  
> Gabi  
> <3<3<3

Castiel closed the door to the downstairs bathroom. He had a call to make and he didn’t want to be disturbed. Since the scene at breakfast that morning, Winchesters had been popping up everywhere he went in the house. He knew they were all curious as to what happened between he and Dean the night before, but there wasn’t anything to tell.

And even if there had been, he still wouldn’t have told.

He was outnumbered. It was time for him to call for some reinforcements.

Scrolling through his contacts, he landed on his brother. Desperate times and all that. He pressed the _CALL_ button. It rang twice before Gabriel answered. _“What’s up, bro? Need rescuing already?”_

“Yes.”

_“Jesus, Cassie. I was kidding.”_ Gabriel chuckled through the line.

“Well. I’m not. I need you to come get me. I don’t know if I can do this, Gabriel.” Castiel wiped at his eyes. He was getting overwhelmed with the amount of noise in the house. He hadn’t had anxiety like this since high school. All he really wanted was to hide with a good book back in his apartment.

Gabriel’s voice lost it’s normal trickster quality when he spoke again. “Castiel, if you really need me to, I can come up. But I think that you being there, being out of your comfort zone is a good thing.”

“I know. And they really are a very nice family. It’s just… They are very loud.” _And gorgeous_ , he added to himself, thinking of Dean. But he sure as hell wasn’t going to tell Gabriel that. He would never hear the end of it. “It’s like dealing with seven of you all at once.”

“You know, I should take offense to that. Honestly, I should leave you to fend for yourself.” Gabriel laughed. Castiel could hear the crinkle of some candy being opened through the line. The slurping sound that followed made him cringe. “But I’m not gonna, ‘cus I’m an awesome big brother. Give me an hour to pack and another to drive, but I’ll be there. Text me the address would ya?”

They hung up and Castiel immediately felt better. A few more hours, and he would be gone.

Wait…

What did his brother just say?

_Pack?_

Gabriel had said he would pack. Pack. That meant it wasn’t a rescue.

It was an invasion.

*****

“Um, Mrs. Winchester, may I speak with you a moment?” Castiel shuffled his feet, and smiled hesitantly at the blonde.

She stood at the kitchen island, chopping vegetables for dinner. While it wasn’t going to be as extravagant as the one they would be having on Christmas day, there were still a lot of people to feed in the meantime. “It’s Mary, dear. And of course you can speak with me.”

Castiel coughed, clearing his throat and nerves. “Um, I’m not sure how to say this…”

“Try using words to form sentences. That usually works for me.” Dean joked with a wide smile as he stepped into the kitchen. Mary slapped the back of his head as he grabbed a carrot from the counter. “Ow!”

“Don’t be a smartass, Dean.” Mary turned back to their guest. “You were saying, dear?”

Castiel had briefly froze when Dean entered. Damn the man took his breath away. Focus, Castiel, focus. “It seems that my brother might be joining us. I’ve gotten him a room at the Elysian Fields Hotel, and I’m going to make sure he gets his own groceries.”

“Castiel, of course your brother can join us. You should have some family here. And don’t worry, I’m sure that we have enough food.” Mary smiled.

“Trust me, when it comes to Gabriel, having too much food on hand is better than the alternative.” Castiel smiled back. “And thank you.”

“Of course. Now why don’t you help me out and take Dean somewhere before he eats everything in my kitchen.” Mary laughed as she smacked Dean’s hand –“ _Hey!”_ \- away from the pile of veggies in front of her. “Stop it, Dean. Why don’t you show him around town?”

Dean reddened, slightly as he looked over at Castiel. “Uh yeah. I could do that.”

“Oh, you don’t have to. Besides what if my brother shows up while we are out?” Castiel’s pulse sped up at the thought of being alone with Dean in his car. It had been a long time since he had been this attracted to someone. He wasn’t even sure if Dean was even into men.

Knowing his luck though, even if Dean was attracted to men, Castiel probably wasn’t his type.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. If your brother shows up while you’re out, Sam will call you.” Mary reassured him. “Now go. Have fun.”

Twenty minutes later Castiel shifted in the front seat of Dean’s ‘Baby’. That was what he had called the sleek ’67 Impala. Really who named their car such an endearment? They drove in silence mainly, Dean only speaking when he pointed out key landmarks of his hometown.

Castiel watched Dean’s face as he talked. His green eyes would light up when he spoke of somewhere that made him happy, like when he told Castiel of how proud he was when he had taught Sam to drive in the old factory parking lot.

Then other times, as they drove past certain places like the school, Dean got quiet, withdrawn.

After seeing this happen a few times, Castiel decided to help Dean get his mind off of whatever it was. He made the suggestion they go get some more groceries for his brother’s arrival.

Before Castiel knew what happened, the cart was halfway full. The rusted wheel made his ears ache each time they turned down a new aisle. He didn’t mind though. Dean had such an enthusiastic appreciation for food that Castiel found himself smiling more than he had in years.

Scanning the labels down the can aisle, he slowly pushed the cart. Unexpectedly he ran into the back of Dean’s legs. “Oh. Dean I apologize.”

Dean didn’t move. He stood immobile in the aisle, frozen. Castiel came up, concerned and placed a hand on Dean’s arm. “Dean are you okay?”

“Be my boyfriend.” Dean whispered, still staring into space.


	5. Chapter Five

“What?” Had Castiel really hit him that hard? He hadn’t thought so.

Dean’s eyes snapped to him. “For the next five minutes, please be my boyfriend.” He was panicked, no doubt about it. Seeing no alternative, he cupped Cas’ face and kissed him. It wasn’t anything passionate by any means. It was only meant to look one way: established relationship. Dean pulled back, and whispered against Cas’ lips. “Please.”

Castiel had lost all temporary ability to speak, so he nodded. He had no time to question Dean about this sudden turn of events, however. Dean was speaking to someone who had rolled their cart up to theirs.

“You’re back.” The woman was saying, as she kept a weary eye on Dean’s hand at Castiel’s waist.

“Yeah, last night.” The corners of his mouth lifted. It could be called a smile by those who didn’t know him, not that Castiel did, not fully. But Castiel had been privileged enough to see a real Dean Winchester smile, that kind that made you smile from just seeing it. “How you been, Lisa? How- how’s Ben?”

“Good. Ben’s good.” Lisa kept shooting Castiel glances, waiting for Dean to introduce him. “He’s over at Benny’s parents for the night. It’s the only time I think that we will have to get his presents wrapped.”

“So, you’re still with Benny then.” Dean’s lips tightened. Lisa shot him a weary look.

Castiel glanced at Dean. He stood stiffly by his side, tense. The undercurrents running between them was making Castiel anxious, but he forced himself to suffer through it. Taking the initiative, Castiel held out his hand and introduced himself. “Hello. I’m Castiel Milton.”

“Lisa Braeden. So how do you know Dean?” She asked, prying for details but thankful to talk about something else.

Dean snapped out of whatever was holding him in his trance. Remembering that it was his idea to play it this way, he answered for them. “He’s my boyfriend Lisa.”

“Oh. Right. I should have realized. You always did have a type, Dean.” She smiled kindly. Looking around, she cleared her throat. “Well, I guess that I’ll see you at Christmas dinner.”

She went to move her cart past theirs, when Dean grabbed her arm, stopping her. “What the hell do you mean, you’ll see me at Christmas dinner?”

“Your parents always invite me and Ben. Mary said that just because… It didn’t mean that Ben isn’t still theirs to spoil.” Lisa avoided his eyes as she explained.

Dean dropped her arm, letting her go. Castiel stood by his side, trying to figure out what it was that had just transpired in the canned goods aisle at the Piggly Wiggly. And did he even want to know?

They paid and left fairly quickly after that. Bags safely in the trunk, Castiel sat in the passengers seat, mute. When Dean turned on the engine, the radio was blasting. He snapped it off, preferring to stew in silence.

“I’m sure that you’re curious about what that was about?” Dean’s voice rumbled. His eyes never left the road as he waited for Castiel’s response.

Castiel tilted his head and studied his best friend’s brother. He was sure that whatever he said right then would be the wrong thing, it generally was. But he answered honestly. “Yes, Dean. I am extremely curious as to what that was. However, I wouldn’t begrudge you if you chose to keep it to yourself. If our ruse helped you, then I’m glad.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Castiel smile weakly, and turn forward in the seat to watch the roads pass by. Dean’s grip tightened on the leather steering wheel. He wanted to tell him. Hell, he was shocked that Sammy had never told him. It never occurred to him that Cas wouldn’t push on this. Everyone did. But his passenger remained quiet, allowing Dean time to sort though his emotions. He cleared his throat. “It did help, Cas. Thank you.”

Castiel turned to him again. “You are welcome, Dean.”

*****                              

Gabriel pulled his grey Omni hatchback into the driveway. The neighborhood looked friendly enough to him, but he knew how Cassie got anxious when he was anywhere other than at home.

Good thing he loved the little twerp. He wouldn’t have shown up otherwise.

He opened the hatch and leaned in. He had only brought one small bag for clothes and one of his favorite cookbooks, but there were several bags of groceries in the back. He figured since he was invading his brother’s friend’s family’s home, he might as well cook for them all. The restaurant he owned would just have to deal with his absence for a few days.

Just as he started to unload his bag that held the books from the trunk, he could see the front door to the house open through the windshield. His breath caught as the most gorgeous man Gabe had ever had the pleasure of seeing stepped out onto the porch. All tall and toned and shoulders and hair and…He rushed getting out of the trunk, smacking his head on the underside of the hatch.

“Fuck!” Gabe dropped his bag, right on his foot as he clutched the back of his head. He swore again at the impact. Why the hell did he pack so many cookbooks? He hopped around clutching his foot with his other hand. He was pretty sure that he was doing a fairly good impression of Castiel’s drunken dancing skills. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”

Sam watched, torn between amusement and surprise at the stranger hopping around on one foot in his parents driveway. Taking four giant steps forward, he reached the stranger’s side. Lending his arm for support he asked. “You okay man?”

Gabe nodded, pulling his hand away from his head.

“Dude, you’re bleeding.”

Not good, that was not good at all. Gabe couldn’t do blood. But still he glanced down to his palm and yep. Yep that was blood. And yep, he was about to pass out.

Sam caught the man before he slid to a lump on the ground. Quickly, he lifted the smaller man bridal style, and carried him into the house. “Mom! I need the first aid kit!”

Still holding the man, Sam sat down on the couch carefully trying not to jog the man. Mary came around the corner, carrying the white first aid kit. “Sam? What happened? Who is that?”

“No idea.” Sam explained what happened outside as Mary cleaned the blond’s injury.

“You know, I think that this might be Castiel’s brother. Gabriel.” Mary said softly.

Sam glanced down at the man in his arms. He had never met Castiel’s brother before, despite years of friendship. Gabriel had always been too busy with his restaurants to make the time. Or somehow Sam always was in class when he had made it over.

At the sound of his name , Gabe’s eyes fluttered open. The first thing he saw was beautiful hazel? Green? Blue?, eyes staring down at him. “Figures.” He muttered, closing his eyes shut again.

“Figures what?” A woman’s voice asked nearby.

“Always figured I’d die by head injury,” his snorted a small laugh.

“And you think you’re dead?” The question came right beside his ear.

Gabe’s eyes opened again. “Duh. Though I don’t know how I got to Heaven, seeing how you’re an angel. Though I did hear somewhere that the devil was a fallen angel. You Lucifer?”

Sam barked with laughter.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so to be honest, this was NOT the chapter I originally had written for this. But I'm not mad about this one. It turn out far better than the other version. (Word to the wise from the dumb, BACKUP YOUR WORK!!!)  
> *Possible trigger??? Gabe's a klutz as a kid, so his injuries get looked into. Nothing bad happened to him I swear!  
> Comments, kudos, and yada yada yada ya'll  
> Gabi  
> <3<3<3

The Impala pulled into the drive not too long after. Castiel noticed his brother's vehicle immediately. He rolled his eyes at seeing the hatch still open, and an open bag on the ground. _Now_ what had happened? His brother had a penchant for injuring himself. All through their formative years, Gabriel had been in and out of the ER more times than the rest of his graduating class combined. If it hadn't been for the fact that Castiel never once had been admitted for similar injuries -or even a cold, thank you very much- was the only thing that stopped child services from coming down on their parents.

Castiel shook is head. Gabriel really needed a keeper.

Or a plastic bubble to live in.

Though knowing him, he would still somehow manage to injure himself.

It always astounded Castiel that his brother could be such a perfectionist genius when it came to cooking, but outside the kitchen? It was as if the world fell over itself over what got to trip him next.

"Wonder who's here? Don't recognize the car." Dean said beside him as he shut off the engine. "Though to be fair, I haven't been home in a while. Could be anybody."

Castiel sighed, wearily. Before he opened the passenger's side door, he warned. "It's my brother Gabriel's car. I should warn you, he's, well, he's Gabriel."

Dean laughed.

"He's like an overprotective, vengeful lapdog. With a sugar addiction." Dean snorted. Castiel didn't blame him. As odd as it sounded, it was the closest he could get to describing his brother. He again glanced to the mess left beside the grey Omni. He was sure Gabriel had left food in the back. Rolling his eyes, Castiel went over to pick up after his older brother. The man sometimes had the attention of a flea.

While both Dean and Castiel were relatively large men, with a decently proportionate amount of muscle between them, they still struggled under the weight of all the bags of food. It didn't help that Dean had challenged him to carry them all in in one trip. Easily accomplished if not for Gabriel's bags.

They entered the kitchen to an unexpected and surprising -though not to Castiel- sight. Gabriel sat at the kitchen table, a frozen bag of peas pressing to the back of his head. His left ankle was elevated...on Sam's lap. The same Sam who was finishing up with wrapping an ace bandage around Gabriel's delicate ankle. While Castiel and Dean might have been internally mocking Gabriel's slim ankles, Sam found them intriguing.

Oh fuck, he wasn't developing some weird foot fetish was he? To each their own, but that was never something Sam Winchester ever found all that appealing.

Gabriel as whole was certainly appealing. And intriguing. And not what Sam was expecting out of Castiel's older brother in the slightest. He had honestly anticipated someone similar, though slightly older, to Castiel. While his friend was rather stoic, introverted, and awkward, Castiel's brother was almost the complete opposite. He was a little ball of energy and humor and life. Nothing against Castiel, because he loved the guy, really. But Sam did, _on occasion_ , get a little... _bored_ hanging out with him all the time. They fell into routines that Castiel never veered from, and once he found something he enjoyed he stuck with it.

Sam was certain that with Gabriel you would never know what would happen next.

Dean set his set of bags down on the counter then relieved Castiel of his burden. Castiel walked over to his brother, and frowned. "What did you do to yourself now, Gabriel?"

Immediately defensive, the blond held up his hand. "Hey now! This time it wasn't my fault! I swear. It was Sammy's."

"Hey! And it's Sam."

"What did Sammy do?"

The Winchester brothers spoke simultaneously.

"Oh don't deny your involvement Sammich," Gabriel chided. Then smirked. "If you hadn't come outside and distracted me with all of your tall, muscle-y gorgeous-ness I wouldn't have been caught off guard and then proceeded to smack my head on my car."

Bitch face numero eighty-three appeared as Sam dumped Gabriel's injured ankle off his lap.

"Gabriel, your car is taller than you are. How did you...?" Castiel began with a slight lifting of his lips. He endlessly enjoyed teasing his brother when he could get away with it. Now was one of those times.

"It is not! I resent that. Really. Just because you got the all the height and I got all the brains and beauty and sense of humor, don't go making fun of me for the one thing I'm lacking." Gabriel pouted. He tossed the bag of peas down on the table then crossed his arms defensively.

"Well _that_ whole thing you just said is completely untrue." Dean deadpanned.

Sam snorted.

"What is this? Pick on Gabe day? And here I came all this way to help out my baby bro, because he was all anxious about being here... Might as well go home now." Gabriel stood up in a huff.

Dean frowned, then shot a side glance at Castiel.

Even if Sam hadn't shoved him back into his chair, Gabriel would've made it back to the same position. Between the throbbing of his foot and the pulsing of his head, he would not have been able to stand for very long.

"Gabe, you aren't going anywhere. You more than likely have a concussion, and to top it off you can barely move on that foot. So sit dammit." Sam commanded firmly. A tingle of pleasure shot up Gabriel's spine at the tone. Yeah, Sammy could be all dominate with him any day.

Not that he was going to admit it in front of his baby bro and future bro-in-law.

...

...

Yeah, okay. So maybe he did have a slight concussion.

Castiel rolled his eyes at his brother's antics. He knew him well enough to know what he was thinking. But Gabriel he could handle. Gabriel he was used to. What he wasn't used to was Dean wrapping a warm hand around his elbow and pulling him to the side.

"Hey man. Can... can we talk for a minute? You know, away from Shorty and Sasquatch over there?" Dean nodded from their brothers to the staircase leading back up to the room above the garage. "Please."

Castiel held his gaze, as though attempting to read his thoughts. After a moment, he nodded. "Lead the way."


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who have been following this, I have changed the rating from Mature to Explicit. Mainly because of the smut in this chapter ;)  
> Comments, kudos, recs, and yada yada ya'll  
> Gabi  
> <3<3<3

"So."

"So?" Cas raised a brow at Dean. He watched as the other man nervously ran a hand through his hair. They had gone back up to Dean's room, far enough away from any prying ears or annoying brothers. Castiel wondered if Dean brought him up here to tell him to grab his things. Castiel wouldn't blame him. It was Dean's room after all. He should probably get a room at the hotel with Gabriel anyway...

"Don't go." Dean's voice cut through Castiel's rambling thoughts. "I don't want you to leave."

"What?" Castiel tilted his head to the side. Frowning he asked, "Why?"

"Well..." Dean avoided his eyes, searching around the room as though expecting an answer to appear to him from the old vinyl's and 80's posters. "Because of Sam. Yeah. Sam wanted you here, right? I mean, you can't upset Sammy. He's your best friend."

Dean paced back across the room, sighing. "I hope you didn't call your brother up here because I made you feel uncomfortable or anything earlier. It's just the whole thing with Lisa is super awkward. I shouldn't have dragged you into it, man."

Castiel studied the other man. If what had happened at the grocery store hadn't happened, Castiel might have taken his flimsy excuse and left. But Castiel had seen the pain behind those beautiful green eyes. "Dean. Do you need me to continue to pretend to be your 'boyfriend' through Christmas?"

Dean's lips lifted at the brunets use of finger quotes. Swallowing back his nervousness at his ability to read him so easily, Dean admitted. "Maybe. Okay yeah. But even if it wasn't the case, you should still stay, Cas. You're family."

"Family? But I've only just met..."

"You're Sammy's family. And by extension mine...uh, ours." Dean cleared his throat. "You shouldn't have to be anxious around family."

Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Castiel cleared his throat. "Thank you, Dean. So should we come up with some story to tell Sam and everyone when Lisa shows up tomorrow. Otherwise I think that they might be surprised when all of a sudden we act all..." he gestured with his left hand between them.

Dean laughed. "Well we should at least fill Sam in on it. He knows more about the Lisa situation than the rest of them. He can help cover if need be."

Their eyes met and lingered a moment. They had gotten close over the course of the conversation, barely a foot separated them. Dean watched as the blue of Castiel's eyes appeared to diminish as his pupils dilated. He licked his lips in response. "Uh, you know, since we are supposedly _together_... We should be, you know, comfortable around each other."

Castiel squinted, his voice deeper as he spoke softly. "But I am comfortable around you Dean. More than I thought that I'd be in all honesty."

Exhaling, Dean let out a surprised laugh. He shook his head. Cas was certainly more amusing than he at first appeared. "Cas, I meant, you know, physically. Couples have their own body language. The way they stand, how... how they kiss."

Castiel's eyes widened in understanding. "Oh. I see." He paused for a moment, then said. "Perhaps then, we should practice, so not to render everyone suspicious."

Dean's lips lifted for a fraction of a second before he settled them against Cas'. Cas, who was up until a day ago, only known as his brother's roommate. His lips were soft, welcoming as Dean licked the seam, willing the other man to let him in. Dean surged in, tongue sweeping into Cas' mouth. He was taking no prisoners, yet neither was Cas.

Cas' hands came up to grip Dean's shoulders, squeezing tightly. He was probably leaving a bruise but who cared. Dean's tongue was in his mouth, his hands were wrapped around his waist and Cas was in heaven.

" _Fuck,_ Dean." Cas said as the elder Winchester pulled back enough for them to catch their breath. They were pressed chest to chest, not even an inch between them. He felt Dean's erection jerk against his hip in reaction to his unexpected cursing. Shifting his hands down to his ass, Cas palmed the globes with both hands. Pulling him closer, he grinded against him. Both men let out their own pleased groans, "This is not the type of kissing we should be doing in front of everyone, Dean."

"You're right. It's not." Dean agreed. But before Castiel could pull away, Dean captured his mouth again. "It's not that type at all."

They stopped talking after that. Clothing went flying about the room as they stripped each other. Placing both hands on Dean's chest, he shoved his down to the mattress. Blue eyes scoped over Dean's chest, wanting to count all of the freckles decorating his torso. He didn't want to stop what they were doing to count them all. Instead he leaned over and ran his tongue up the middle of chest. Dean's breath caught above him. Cas smiled as he licked at one nipple, pinching the other between his thumb and forefinger.

"Damn, Cas. Who knew you'd be so demanding?" Dean stammered out. He wasn't complaining though. Far from it. He let out a yelp as Cas' other hand wrapped around his dick. Cas wasted no time and started pumping. "Fuck, Cas."

He kissed his way up Dean's neck, stopping here and there to taste him. Reaching his ear finally, Cas spoke, his voice heavy and low with arousal. "You have no idea how demanding I can be, Dean. Is that what you want? Me telling you when you can come?"

"Yes. Fuck, yes. I want that. Want you." He was becoming incoherent as he jerked up into Cas' hand. It was dry but he didn't care, it was good, so good. He wasn't going to last. Wasn't even sure how they had gotten to this point so quickly. Before he could stop himself he was coming, spilling over Cas' fingers, crying out louder than he meant to.

Cas captured his mouth, drinking in the sound. When Dean finally calmed enough he pulled back from the kiss. "What about you?"

Cas swallowed. In the midst of everything he had no qualms of being demanding, of telling his partner what he wanted. Dean raised his hand to the back of Cas' neck, forcing him to look at him. "Tell me Cas. What do you want?"

"Your mouth. I want your mouth," Cas whispering his request was one of the hottest things that Dean had heard in a long time. Nodding, Dean pushed Cas to stand beside the bed. Sitting on the edge of the mattress, he grabbed Cas' hips- _holy fuck those hipbones-_ and looked up. Green eyes met blue. "Fuck my mouth, Cas."

It was all the invitation he needed. Pushing the tip of his dick past Dean's lips, he sank in to the hot cavern of his mouth. Groaning, he started to thrust. He went slowly at first, trying to gage how much Dean was willing to take. When his dick pressed against the back of his throat, Dean moaned and dug his fingers into the cushion of Cas' ass. Not waiting anymore, Cas went faster, thrusting deep into Dean's mouth. "Dean... _fuck_ your mouth...Gonna come, oh fuck..."

He tried to pull back, but Dean just held on tighter. One of his hands had come up to stroke the line of his hipbones tenderly. The unexpected touch sent him over the edge. Cas came, shooting salty come down the back of Dean's throat. After swallowing, Dean pulled off, letting his tongue lap at the tip of Cas' dick for one final taste.

"Yeah," Dean said, his voice rougher now than it had been previously, "Yeah. That is definitely not the type of kissing we should be doing in front of everyone tomorrow."

Cas laughed. Collapsing on top of Dean's lap, he kissed him. The heat was gone compared to the previous ones, but no less addictive. This was not what he had been expecting when agreeing to come to his friend's family holiday get together.

But damn if he wasn't glad for it now.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so posting this after being up for 21 hours, but since I love you all more than sleep (which is really saying somehting) here ya go...  
> Also if you ever get the chance to listen to RSjr sing Holly Jolly Christmas, it's definitely worth listening to.  
> And for those who have noticed, yes I am on a Sabriel kick with my posting, that does not mean that I still don't love Destiel. Just need a break from the angst for a bit.  
> Gabi  
> <3<3<3

Sam wasn't quite sure how it had happened but Gabriel had talked him into driving him over to the Elysian Fields Hotel so he could check in. It had been a few hours since his unexpected appearance at the Winchester home, and Sam knew it would never again be the same. Sam made a turn, driving around the town square to catch the road leading to the fifties inspired hotel.

The man really did have a concussion, he shouldn't have been moving at all. He should have stayed where he had been, back at the house where Mary could keep an eye on him. Instead, he hadn't wanted to impose and asked for a ride back to the hotel. Castiel and Dean had disappeared, though judging by the sounds emanating from Dean's room, Sam could easily guess what they were up to. Oblivious as to what their respective brothers were doing, Gabriel spent the entire ride singing along with the Christmas music that played over the radio, bouncing in his seat if it was a particularly upbeat one. His version of _Holly Jolly Christmas_ left Sam smiling.

"You're a pretty decent singer, Gabriel." Sam acknowledged after a rendition of _Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer_.

"Thank you," Gabriel's smile widened into what Sam could only describe as cheeky. Then he poked at Sam's arm hard. "You think I'm pretty."

"I think you have a concussion," Sam corrected as he massaged the sore spot. Pulling into the parking lot of the town's only hotel, Sam shut off the engine of the cramped Omni. Cramped for him anyway, Sam eyed the passenger. Gabriel had plenty of leg room on his side, where as Sam had the seat all the way pushed back and it was still a tight fit.

Turning to glare at the smaller man, Sam was caught off guard. He frowned. Gabriel was leaning his head against the window, eyes shut. His face was scrunched up in obvious pain. Sam resigned himself to the fact he would have to stay throughout the night to keep an eye on him. He unbuckled both of their seatbelts. "Come on. I need to get you into bed."

"Well, Sammich all you had to do was say so." Gabriel winked tiredly. "Heck, even just crooking one of those nice, big fingers would do the trick."

Sam blushed. He wasn't used to being so blatantly flirted with. By anyone. Despite his height, he was easily overlooked. Sam wasn't taking Gabriel's flirting to heart though, he had heard too many stories from Castiel over the years to know that that was just how Gabriel was with everyone.

With more effort than was necessary Sam managed to get Gabriel out of the car and inside. He checked them in before bringing Gabriel up to his room. Dropping the restaurant owner's bags on the floor beside the door, Sam took a deep breath. They had given Gabriel a suite with a king sized bed. With it being a holiday week, it was 'all that was left'. What a load of crock. The parking lot was practically empty when they drove in, and the lobby slash restaurant was a ghost town. While the bed held more than enough room for the two of them to share, the fact that they just assumed they were together threw Sam through a loop. Especially since the desk clerk was a former classmate, having graduated with Sam.

"I'll take the floor," Sam offered. He had slept on worse places in college. He blamed his former roommate Brady for that as he had had the tendency of locking Sam out of their room when he had a date.

"Look, I know I've been flirting with you like crazy, and that I've made you uncomfortable but I'll behave. I promise. I'll stay on my side, and you'll stay on yours." Gabriel pointed to each side of the bed as he spoke. He was so tired. He didn't want to spend any more time than was necessary arguing about this. Just because he found the moose fucking irresistible didn't mean the feeling was reciprocated. He knew better than to hope for that.

Sam considered for a brief moment. They could put a couple of pillows between them probably. It would stop him from rolling over and cuddling the smaller man in the middle of the night. This would be so much easier if he wasn't so attracted to Gabriel. And it would help if he would desist with the flirting. Sam felt as though his emotional state was in a complete tailspin from the moment Gabriel fell into his arms.

He didn't know if he wanted to get off this ride, or stay on it forever.

Just then Sam's cell rang, shaking him from his thoughts. He pulled it out, answering immediately when he saw that it was Dean. "Hey, what's up?"

"So listen. I ran into Lisa at the store earlier," Dean rough voice began without even a 'hello'. "And she may be under the impression that Cas and I are... together?"

Sam snorted. He was unaware that he was making his standard 'Dean you're an idiot' faces.

"And don't give me that bitch face, Sammy. I was surprised to see her alright. It came out, it happened. So are you on board with helping with this or not?" Dean's voice pulled away from the speaker, talking to someone in the background. After a moment he returned. "Oh, and uh, maybe get Gabriel in on it too."

"Seriously Dean? Why couldn't you...?"

"Dammit Sammy, not over the phone. Not now. You in on this or not?"

Sam sighed, completely exasperated by his older brother. "Fine. But you and Castiel both owe me big. Though I can't believe that he was willing to go along with it."

"'Course he went along with it. He's fucking badass." More talking in the background, followed be Dean laughing. "Listen I, uh, gotta go... do something. Bye."

Dean hung up without another word.

Sam frowned down at his phone. The wallpaper of a chocolate lab stared back.

"What's wrong with Dean-o?" Gabriel asked from across the room. He had been slowly unpacking his clothes and placing the items into the dresser while Sam had been on the phone.

Sam shot him a look that said 'too much'. "My brother is an idiot is all."

"Gotcha. No explanation necessary. So you want to be top or bottom?"

Sam went red. "Uh, Gabe? I thought you said no more flirting?"

"Right. Sorry. Force of habit. It'd've been funnier if this was a bunk bed." Gabriel sat down on the mattress, bouncing slightly. "I should probably get some sleep."

"Yeah, you really should." Sam planned on reading on his phone for the first few hours before waking Gabriel to check on him. This was going to be a long night.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Valentine's Day so why not update my xmas fic???  
> Comments, kudos and yada yada  
> Gabi  
> <3<3<3

The timer for the turkey dinged.

Nobody moved.

Nobody dared to even breath.

Castiel felt a bead of sweat run down his temple.

The incessant _tick tick tick_ of the wall clock echoed loudly around the room.

Dean was frowning.

Charlie gaped.

The blare of a car horn could be heard down the road.

Claire's fists clenched.

Sam's eyes jumped form one person to the next, waiting.

Gabriel made his move and... the wooden pieces of the Jenga tower clattered to the table. "Dammit!"

Groans sounded around the table. Dean smacked the back of the smaller man's shoulder, commiserating at his loss. "Sorry dude, but rules is rules here at Chez Winchester."

"But it's not fair!" Gabriel whined. He knew he was being pathetic, he just really didn't care. It. Was. Not. Fair!

Claire and Charlie were laughing into each other's shoulders. Adam had been smart and decidedly not played in the annual family Jenga Tourney. Claiming, "There's enough people this year, someone else can lose!" For the past four years the young blond had had the unfortunate luck of losing and being forced to face the repercussions.

"Gabriel. There is no need to be petulant. You were the one who wanted to play." Castiel reminded his older brother with a smirk.

"But I wasn't planning on losing!" He was a sore loser. Had been this way for years, he wasn't going to change now. Not even with that gorgeous moose of a man laughing at him. Even if it made it easier to take when Sam's eyes were lit up in his amusement, Gabriel still crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue. "Screw you guys."

"Come on, Gabe. You promised. Just like we all did." Sam poked at his arm.

"But I made dinner." Well, him and Mary really. He pouted. "I shouldn't have to do the dishes too."

They all continued to laugh at Gabriel's childish behavior. Castiel knew his brother would step up and do what the dishes. As much as he complained, the elder Milton wouldn't back down from the loss.

"Okay, okay. Stop laughing at me. Hey Samsquatch, grab the turkey would you?" Gabriel directed as he started cleaning up his downfall.

"Woah, dude. This is a family meal. Stop hitting on my brother," Dean teased. "He ain't gonna go grab your 'turkey' in front of everyone."

Gabriel tossed a block at the blond's head.

Everyone broke out laughing more, except Sam who reddened. Charlie held a hand on her brother's shoulder stopping him from moving from where he sat. "Don't worry. I got it."

From the front of the house, the doorbell rang. The musical ding barely registered over the noise in the kitchen. It wasn't until Mary stepped into the room and cleared her throat that the group noticed the new guests. Claire's and Sam's laughter cut off mid-guffaw. The suddenness of it sent Dean's eyes to his brother's. His back stiffened, and he breathed deep preparing for who he knew was behind him.

"Seems like you guys are having fun in here." Lisa's voice was amused. She had no idea the havoc that she was currently rendering her ex.

It took a beat, no one knowing how to comment. Castiel knew his part, but until Dean spoke he would remain silent. Gabriel had no clue why there was a chill in the once warm environment. There was history here clearly. He leaned back in his chair, leg still propped up in Sam's lap. _That_ had to be the reason he lost, he thought. He watched as the Winchester reality show played out.

A young voice screeched, shocking the adults in the room. "Daddy!"

Castiel watched as Dean's shoulders decompressed as he turned to the young boy running into the room. He was small, no more than five Castiel guessed, and looked similar enough to the man reaching for him that there wasn't a doubt in his mind as to who this child belonged. In one swift motion he scooped up the small child into his arms, holding him tight. Ben's arms were suffocating him, but Dean didn't appear to mind.

Lisa cleared her throat. "Uh, Ben sweetie. We've talked about this. Dean isn't..."

"Shut up, Mom." Ben glared before turning back into Dean's shoulder.

Dean shifted him, frowning. "Hey, kiddo. No. You don't talk to your mother like that."

Ben pouted. He was testing his luck but he had missed him. "But you are my Dad."

Dean felt his heart break, tearing to shreds like some hellhound ripping into his chest. He hugged the boy tighter. "Ben. Your mother is right. Benny is your father. That doesn't mean that I love you any less. You have to know that."

"Then where have you been?" He crossed his small arms, leaning back safely in Dean's.

It wasn't that Dean hadn't been expecting the question, but he really didn't want to explain in front of everyone. Other than Sam, Lisa was the only one who knew fully why he had left. Clearing his throat, he answered as best he could. "Well, buddy. I've been traveling a bit. Worked a bit. Missed you a lot though."

The answer seemed to satisfy the child for the moment. Then he slyly asked, "Did you bring me anything?"

Dean threw his head back as he laughed. "Yeah, Ben. Of course I did. Maybe your mom might let you have one of your presents before dinner? If you apologize properly."

Ben nodded and turned to Lisa. "Sorry Mom."

"It's okay sweetie. And I have no problem with you opening one of your presents. Just one though," she added sternly. As Dean went to the living room with her son, she turned with a nervous smile to the rest of the room. "I see everyone is here. Plus a couple new faces. Hello again, Clarence."

"It's Castiel," the group spoke simultaneously, correcting her.

Looking abashed, Lisa cleared her throat. "Right. And uh, who is this?" She gestured to the small man practically sitting in Sam's lap.

"This is Gabriel Milton," Sam said.

"His boyfriend," the chef added with a smirk. Sam was as surprised as everyone else by Gabriel throwing his arm over the taller man's shoulders.

Castiel regained composure first. The frown he threw the pair spoke volumes of retribution ahead. "Yes, it seems that the Milton brothers have an affinity for Winchester men."

"Right. That's perfectly understandable," Lisa agreed softly.

Mary couldn't watch the train wreck anymore without stepping in and distracting everyone the best way she knew how. "Okay, enough chatter. Grab a dish and make yourselves useful. We got a meal to eat. Move!"

Being the wife of a former Marine had its benefits of getting everyone toeing the line.


End file.
